Rural Oregon men experience significant and consistent postsecondary gaps from enrollment through completion. These gaps further widen when intersected with race and family income. Community colleges are the pathway of choice for the majority of rural students. Learn how four rural Oregon community colleges and a foundation are building colleges' capacity to support students, create a sense of belonging, and use data to increase the number of rural young men persisting to completion. The panel includes students from the colleges sharing how the project has impacted them.
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries at breakneck speed, but are our educational institutions keeping pace? This session unveils the eye-opening results of Rogue Community College's survey on AI adoption among its Career and Technical Education (CTE) program advisory committee members, offering a unique glimpse into the evolving landscape of AI in our regional workforce. We'll present key findings on current AI usage, application areas, perceived benefits, and challenges faced by organizations across various sectors. The survey provides valuable insights into how different industries in the Rogue Valley are leveraging AI, from customer service and data analysis to process automation and cybersecurity. We'll explore the implications of these findings for curriculum development, ethical considerations, and the future of higher education. Participants will gain a nuanced understanding of the skills gap between current educational offerings and industry needs. We'll discuss potential strategies for integrating AI-related competencies into existing programs and developing new courses that align with emerging trends. The session will also address the ethical implications of AI in education, including concerns about academic integrity and responsible AI use by students. By sharing our survey results and fostering discussion, we aim to catalyze important conversations about AI's role in higher education. Attendees will leave with valuable insights to inform their own institutional approaches to AI integration, whether in curriculum development, instructional design, or ethical policy-making.
This presentation explores the impact of implicit bias on decision-making for community college employees. Attendees will learn how implicit biases can influence issue framing, policy, communications, and resource allocation, and gain strategies to address these biases in order to enhance equity, belonging, and well being for all at their institutions and the communities they serve.
Supporting first year students to thrive in college isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach—it takes creativity, collaboration, and a commitment to meeting students where they are. At Portland Community College, we’ve created a unique First Year Experience (FYE) that combines college coaches, personalized text messaging, and an engaging first year course. Together, these pieces create a holistic support system for over 2,000 first year students, with a 3-year plan to serve all new PCC students (approx 5,000 students). With many unexpected opportunities, the process to develop this FYE was as dynamic as our students are. In this session, we’ll share our process for creating our First Year Experience (spoiler: there were many twists and turns) and break down our FYE elements. Our FYE coaches will share their process to develop holistic supportive relationships with large caseloads and how we’re using technology to help students develop a sense of belonging. You’ll leave with practical tools, including a student communication plan, ideas for using software such as H5P and Vyond, an approach to student-centered voice within a project, and fresh ideas for your own institution.
